The articlegameplay, story, development, reception
Gameplay
Smoke is a run and gun video game in which the screen automatically scrolls upward. Players use three buttons to shoot left, right, and center. The player can also change the way Billie Bob shoots through button combinations. The player dies by getting shot, struck by enemies, or caught between an obstacle and the bottom of the screen.
The player can collect various items, including a horse for extra protection, boots for increased movement speed, bullets for faster shots, a yashichi for an extra life, and a rifle for longer shot range. Other items such as stars, bottles, bags, and dragonflies award a score bonus.
Reception
Game Machine listed Gun.Smoke in their January 1986 issue as being the second most-successful table arcade unit of the month in Japan. The US Play Meter charts listed it as one of the top five arcade games the same month. It went on to be Japan's sixth highest-grossing table arcade game during the first half of 1986.
The arcade game received positive reviews. In a January 1986 issue of Play Meter magazine, Frank Seninsky listed Gun.Smoke as the top recommended arcade conversion kit, calling it "a number-one kit with great graphics." Computer and Video Games magazine gave the arcade game a positive review in March 1986, calling it an "excellent" fast-paced shooter, considering it to be better than light gun shooters such as Hogan's Alley and Shoot Out.
Legacy
A sequel, titled Desperado 2, was developed by Topo Soft and released in 1991. The game was released for the Amstrad CPC, MS-DOS, MSX, and ZX Spectrum.
